Postdoctoral fellowship-SCAM (The Source Criticism and Mediated Disinformation)

The Department of Journalism and Media Studies offers a 2-year full-time postdoctoral fellowship. The position is linked to the international research project Source Criticism and Mediated Disinformation (SCAM), which is financed by The Norwegian Research Council. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to be part of the SCAM project’s international research team, as well as the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group (DJRG) at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies.

The research project SCAM

The Source Criticism and Mediated Disinformation (SCAM) project will develop new knowledge and methods suited to detect and counter the diffusion of disinformation in democratic societies. Disinformation, such as fake news, conspiracy theories, propaganda and media manipulation, has surfaced as a key democratic challenge in recent years, owing to diverse sociopolitical, economic and especially technological developments.

The SCAM project will identify the main challenges related to the ways in which technology and platforms affect the distribution of disinformation in public spheres and ways to detect and counter it, specifically during periods of elections; and it will provide cutting-edge knowledge and practical methods for Digital Source Criticism (DSC) in journalism in particular, and media and information literacy in general.

The SCAM research team consist of professor Steen Steensen (project manager, OsloMet), professor Oscar Westlund (OsloMet), associate professor Bente Kalsnes (Kristiana University College), associate professor Lucas Graves (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and assistant professor Valerie Belair-Gagnon (University of Minnesota).

 Key research questions are:

• What are the key technological developments influencing digital source criticism practices?
• How do news and platform companies employ technology in relation to practices of fact-checking and source criticism in election periods?

For more information about the SCAM project see the project web site https://uni.oslomet.no/scam/about/. You can also contact the project manager, Professor Steen Steensen (see contact details below).

 Tasks and responsibilities

The post-doc fellow is expected to conduct research that contributes significantly to realizing the objectives of the SCAM project. The fellow will have the opportunity to carry out own research within the project’s topic, while also working on specific tasks in the project’s work packages in cooperation with other members of the research team.

These specific tasks are related to:

1) doing technography of fact-checking and disinformation detection technology, focusing on internal digital architectures and digital interfaces;

and 2) the distribution of and engagement with fact-checks in social media over time using analytics such as CrowdTangle.

Other tasks may also be relevant, depending on the fellow’s qualifications and research interests. The division of work between the predefined tasks and the fellow’s own sub-project linked to SCAM is expected to be about 50/50.

The post-doc fellow is expected to produce journal articles in internationally leading journals, both as first author and co-author in cooperation with the research team members. The fellow is also expected to contribute to project workshops and consortium meetings, as well engage in departmental meetings.

Qualification requirements

 The applicant must:

• Hold a PhD degree in a relevant field, such as journalism studies, media studies, communication, information science or similar. The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date.
• Be proficient in both written and oral English.

 Desired background

• Relevant research experience
• Experience with media studies, including social media and digital journalism
• Strong interest in the topic of research
• Collaborative skills as well as ability to work on individual basis
• Experience and expertise related to technography
• Experience from extracting and analysing social media data

General criteria for appointment to a position as Postdoc are stipulated in Regulations relating to Appointment, § 1-2, see details in Norwegian.

 Application

The application should involve a project description of the applicants’ desired study. The described project must relate to the SCAM project. It should also include a description of how the candidate will contribute to realising the tasks described above. The project proposal will be heavily weighted in the assessment of the applicants. The proposal must be written in English.

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active efforts to develop as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required.

We can offer you

• To work on a well-funded cutting-edge research project with international project members and an international advisory board
• To join the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group, an internationally recognized and award-winning research group
• To be part of a professional environment at Norway’s third largest university
• Working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers
• Engage in the opportunity for academic support and development in a large and comprehensive educational research environment
• Work in a good working environment at Department of journalism and media studies at OsloMet

 OsloMet’s International Career Site gives information on living and working in Oslo.

Expert evaluation and further application requirements

An expert committee will assess applicants. You must upload the following documents together with your application by the final date for applications:

•  Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• Project description/research proposal, including a specification of research focus, theoretical perspectives, methodological strategies, and plans for progress and dissemination of output (max 10 pages)
• CV, references and all pages of certificates/diplomas. The certificates/diplomas must include ECTS grades (A–F). Foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution. Education taken abroad should preferably be recognised in advance by NOKUT, and a confirmed copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• Up to five academic publications, including your PhD dissertation and a list of your relevant publications.

You must upload all of these documents. Original documents and valid passport must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you have documents that cannot be uploaded electronically, please contact hanne.landen@oslomet.no

Other information

If you would like more information about the position, feel free to contact:

•  Project manager of SCAM, Professor Steen Steensen, phone +47 67 23 83 18 / +47 909 19977. E-mail: steen.steensen@oslomet.no
• Chair of the Digital Journalism Research Group, Professor Oscar Westlund, phone +47 67 23 88 36. E-mail: Oscar.Westlund@oslomet.no

 The salary for the position is in accordance with the pay scale for Norwegian state employees: 1352 Post doctor, paygrade 60-74, salary NOK 532 300 – 691 400.  

Law deducts 2% of the salary to the State Pension Fund.

 If you wish to apply for the position, please click the button at the bottom of the page.

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